Who was Christ? Was he a human person? Was he the only begotten Son of God? Was he God Himself, a divine incarnation? Well, he was in diverse interpretations all of these but above all he was the state of supreme spiritual realisation much misunderstood by his disciples and future followers. He, like the Buddha before him, had come to fulfil and not to destroy the existing local spiritual tradition but was misunderstood, misjudged and crucified on the altar of human redemption from its fallen state.
The Jews did not accept him as their prophet nor could they apprehend his high philosophy of the life of the Spirit, and along with the Romans, felt threatened in their terrestrial sphere of influence for which they slaughtered an innocent man. Even the Master's apostles failed to comprehend his vast vision of the spiritual life and in course of time reduced his message to a shadow of what he had originally intended it to be. Thus, was born a religion in West Asia which has held sway over the bulk of humanity for the last two thousand years and cast its beneficent and often not so beneficent influence on vast masses of people which it has converted by force before attempting to enlighten them in matters temporal and spiritual.
However, Christianity which is the faith that has followed the footsteps of the Jewish spiritual Master has been a powerful factor in shaping western civilisation and, despite diminishing influence in the western world, continues for over 2.5 billion people the world over as their spiritual solace and succour in life. May Christians go back to the pristine principles of their Master so sublimely articulated in his blessed Sermon on the Mount and, so, help bring about a better world order where conversion from one faith to another by fraud, force, inducement or intelligent design will no more cause mutual mistrust among spiritual brothers wending their way towards the same goal, that of freedom from the bondage that is the life of the senses! Merry Christmas!
The Jews did not accept him as their prophet nor could they apprehend his high philosophy of the life of the Spirit, and along with the Romans, felt threatened in their terrestrial sphere of influence for which they slaughtered an innocent man. Even the Master's apostles failed to comprehend his vast vision of the spiritual life and in course of time reduced his message to a shadow of what he had originally intended it to be. Thus, was born a religion in West Asia which has held sway over the bulk of humanity for the last two thousand years and cast its beneficent and often not so beneficent influence on vast masses of people which it has converted by force before attempting to enlighten them in matters temporal and spiritual.
However, Christianity which is the faith that has followed the footsteps of the Jewish spiritual Master has been a powerful factor in shaping western civilisation and, despite diminishing influence in the western world, continues for over 2.5 billion people the world over as their spiritual solace and succour in life. May Christians go back to the pristine principles of their Master so sublimely articulated in his blessed Sermon on the Mount and, so, help bring about a better world order where conversion from one faith to another by fraud, force, inducement or intelligent design will no more cause mutual mistrust among spiritual brothers wending their way towards the same goal, that of freedom from the bondage that is the life of the senses! Merry Christmas!
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